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In multiple sclerosis The Use of
Epstein-Barr virus infection
As Etiologic risk factor
Is useful Than
comparison
To infection with EBV increases greatly the risk of developping multiple sclerosis, and virtually all affected patients have had EBV infection
Science . 2022 Jan 21. doi: 10.1126/science.abj8222. Online ahead of print [Citation]
Longitudinal analysis reveals high prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus associated with multiple sclerosis
Bjornevik K, Cortese M, Healy BC, Kuhle J, Mina MJ, Leng Y, Elledge SJ, Niebuhr DW, Scher AI, Munger KL, Ascherio A
Department of Nutrition, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health; Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women,s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Randomized Controlled Trial
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system of unknown etiology.

We tested the hypothesis that MS is caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in a cohort comprising more than 10 million young adults on active duty in the US military, 955 of whom were diagnosed with MS during their period of service.

Risk of MS increased 32-fold after infection with EBV but was not increased after infection with other viruses, including the similarly transmitted cytomegalovirus. Serum levels of neurofilament light chain, a biomarker of neuroaxonal degeneration, increased only after EBV seroconversion.

These findings cannot be explained by any known risk factor for MS and suggest EBV as the leading cause of MS.

Pubmed record:  PMID: 35025605
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